A day to promote water over sugary drinks

This year’s World Cavity-Free Future Day (WCFFDay—held on 14 October) encouraged Australians to prioritise their oral health by making water their drink of choice.

The now-worldwide event is an initiative of the Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future (ACFF), who believe that every child born after 2026 should not experience tooth decay within their lifetime.

The critical role of water in the prevention of tooth decay— particularly tap water in many parts of Australia due to the added fluoride it contains—is a timely message given tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in Australia, contributing, along with gum disease and oral cancer, to illness and disability in Australia.

The good news is that the disease is almost entirely preventable through drinking water and brushing twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste and can be stopped and reversed with early detection.

In support of WCFFDay, the Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future (ACFF) have partnered with the Australian Dental Association and Colgate to mark this major push for oral health awareness and remind people how a seemingly simple decision like switching out sugary drinks for water can have a profound effect on the dental health of people of all ages.